Sarah Easley
Artist Statement
Though my interest in art-making began years before taking any studio classes, my formal art instruction began the first semester of my undergraduate career. Initially, I had no intention of following an art career, but the occasional studio class was not enough to satiate my interest. As I progressed in my undergraduate career, I was given the opportunity to work alongside talented artists with whom I share a community. My aesthetic preferences are fluid rather than bound to any single medium or style.
I have recently been experimenting with the versatility of acrylic paint, but my interest in exploring styles and mediums is what pulls me to studio-work. I enjoy the difficulty of trying to understand the physical characteristics of material while simultaneously shaping it into a visually coherent work. Experimentation with medium allows me to both relinquish some control over my art and create a boundary within which I can find a place to work.
Many of my individual pieces share a particular sensitivity to gravity and weight. The drag and tension of my materials reflect both physical exhaustion and psychological sluggishness. My work both responds to and mirrors this drag. Acrylic and latex pours become an immobilizing force, and sculptural appendages are pulled toward the earth. Indirectly, I use high contrast colors and clean lines to act as a visual restraint against fluidity.
Recently, I have also become interested in depicting fingers and nail-biting. The act of nail-biting is inherently satisfying despite its obvious harm. I depict this experience through cartoonishly rendered body horror which pokes fun at the impulse. Simultaneously, I put teeth-razed hands on an aesthetic pedestal; I elevate these hands as a symbol of functionality and capability.
